Apparatus for packing asparagus



Nov. 24, 1931. GAD OCK 1,832,889

APPARATUS FOR PACKING ASPARAGUS Filed May 20. 1929 INVENTOR Geo.Ad co-kQ SL3 m ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES erioReE Ancocx, orWALNUT enova, CALIFORNIA APPARATUS non. PACKING ASPARAG'OS Applicationfiled May-20; 1929. Serial No. 364,505.-

This invention relates to the packing of freshasparagus in crates, myprincipal object being to provide an apparatus, arranged to betemporarily associated with a crate. by

means of which the asparagus as cut in the .field may be placed in thecrate,the ends,of

the 'stal ksall trimmed-simultaneously so as to be the :sameheight, andthe remaining slats of the crate then nailed in place, all in a 10continuous series of operations. By this meansnot only are packingoperations considerably expedited Lover ordinary methods whichrequire-different handling of the asparagus between the cutting and thefinal 115 crating .o'ltzthe same, but-the neat appearance of the cratedproduct is increased over ordinary packs to such an extent as to bringasparagus packed with myv improved apparatus-a-higlier price in the openmarket. 7

.A1further object ofthe invention is to produce a simpleand inexpensivedevice .and yet one which will be exceedingly efiective tor 'thepurposefor which it is designed. I

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of thefollowing-specification and claims. I

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several :views:

Fig. 1 .is a cross section of the apparatus arranged in connection witha crate in position and with the asparagus being initially placedtherein. v 1

:Eig; 21is asimilar view-showing the crate asafille'd atllld theyasparagus being clamped while the ends of the stalks are. trimmed.

:Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatu-s and crate the latterbeing fully packed and their side slats mailed in position. v

FigMlis a perspective view of the apparatus with the crate removed.

Referring now more particularly to the characters ofreferenceon thedrawings, the apparatus which is in-iefiecta crate support- :ing cradlecomprises horizontal supporting bars 1 .adapted .to.-.span. awashing-tray 2 and ireston the? sidesithereof. Secured-to and-projectingupwardly from the ,inner faces of *these bars are ,plates 3 ofsubstantially triangular form with their apices above and more or lesscentral between the endsof bars. Secured to the inner faces of theplates and extending downwardly and transversely from the front edges ofthe same are-flanges 4 connected at their rear lower ends by acrossflange 5. Diagonal braces 6 connect the flanges 4E and 5so that thestructure is ma rigid. i

lhe flanges 4 are parallel to the upper rear edges or the plates 3 andthe distance between SEtlCl flanges encl' edges is approximately that ofbut not less than the height of a crate trom the upper surface oi itstopslatsfi toE-tbe tom edges of the end boardsz8- 'llll distance betweenthe side plates is; slightlylgieater than the exterior length ofthecrate. so that the latter may be freely placed in. position betweensaid plates. 7

Other transverse flanges 9 are secured to the-inner faces ot the platesandprojectrup- ,wardly from the plane of the cross iflange 5 inspacedrelation thereto, said :fianges tableiing connected at their upper endsbyzacrflse :fiange 10 preferably disposedlatthe level of the top or therear sloping edges -.0.f:S a id plates. The flanges 9 and .10 arethsposedas'o as tobe not quite parallel-tozthe :frontedges .otthe plates4, or so as "to be at the :s'ame converging slope relative to saidedgescas the e side edges of the crate Eboards oi the :py'ramidtypecommonly used in asparagus packing. Alsothe distance betweensaldifianges and the front edges ofthe plates issubstantially thesamebutnot. greaterithan the width ofthe crate from the outsideofttheside slatsll-to theopposite side edges of the endboards '8. Thestructure abovedescribedathus storms a means forsupporting a crate at an angle-to ahorizontal plane, so thatlt-ISiILPOSltlOIDtO enable theasparagus stalks12torbe conven- .iently placed therein with-their tips. down.

The crate being set bottomsideup the bottom slats and the frontsideslats are left'oif temporarily, while the top slats and l'tllOSfl of theother or back siderare-left in! place. Betoreplacing any asparagus inthecrate however; a temporary asparagussupportingboard 13 .is placed.in'the crate a suflicientdistance above the top slats 7 thereof SD thatgthe roughly cut ends of all the stalks will project above the level ofthe rear upper edges of the plates 3. This plate is adjustably supportedin place, so that the distance from its upper surface to said upperedges of the plates may be varied according to the length of theasparagus being handled, by means of adjustable screws 14 engaging theunder surface of said board both at the back and front. The board islimited in its movement inwardly of the crate, so that it cannot slipthrough by a bar 15 secured along its front and extending beyond theside edges of the plates to engage the front edges thereof.

The board above mentioned being in place the asparagus is placed in thecrate, the bundles as picked up being first dipped in the trough to washthem, the water draining back into the trough when the asparagus isplaced in the crate, due to the slant which the crate naturally haswhile in the cradle. When the crate is completely filled so that thefront stalks project in front of the plates 3 somewhat, they arecompressed in place by a bar 16 which extends between said plates acrossthe front thereof and intermediate the top and bottom of the crate. Thebar at one end is flexibly and removably pivoted in connection with oneplate and at its other end removably engages a catch hook 17 fixed onthe other plate. A knife 18 of suitable character is then drawn acrossthe upwardly projecting ends of the stalks, said knife resting on andbging guided by the front upper edges of the p ates.

The upper ends of all the stalks are therefore trimmed off to the samelevel so that all the stalks will be the same length. The front sideslats 11a of the crate are then nailed in position while the clampingbar is still in place, so that the stalks cannot bulge out and interferewith nailing operations. The position of thisbar of course is such as tooffer no interference with the placing of these slats in their customarylocations.

The bar is then withdrawn so that the crate may be removed from itssupporting cradle to enable the bottom slats to be then nailed on, orsaid slats may be nailed on while the crate is still in position on thecradle. The board 13 is withdrawn after the bottom slats are nailed onand the crate is in its upright position so that the tips of the stalkswill remain on the same level and will present a neat appearance whenthe top slats are later removed with the retailing of the asparagus.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

WVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for use in connection with the packing of asparagus in acratecomprising a cradle having flanges to support an initially opensided and bottomless crate in an inverted position to enable theasparagus to be packed therein, and a clamping bar removabiy associatedwith the front of the cradle to engage the adjacent row of asparaguswhen the crate is packed to press the asparagus into the crate andfacilitate the nailing of the front side-slats of the crate in placethereon.

2. Apparatus for use in connection with the packing of asparagus in acrate compris ing a cradle having flanges to support an initially opensided and bottomless crate in an inverted position to enable theasparagus to be packed therein, with the tips pointing downwardly, aboard removably associated with the cradle to project across'the cratearea above and parallel to the inverted top thereof to form a temporarysupport for the asparagus tips and to enable the butts of the asparagusthen projecting above the crate, and knife guiding means, parallel withthe board, provided with the cradle at the ends of the crate.

3. A structure as in claim 2, with means for adjusting said board to andfrom said guiding edges without disturbing the crate.

t. A structure as in claim 2, with means for temporarily clamping theasparagus against movement after the crate is packed to enable theupwardly protruding ends of the asparagus to be trimmed off withoutdisplacing any of the asparagus stalks from their packed position.

5. Apparatus for use in connection with the packing of asparagus in acrate comprising a cradle having flanges to support an initially opensided and bottomless crate in an inverted position to enable theasparagus to be packed therein, and means provided with the cradle forsupporting the same from a fixed horizontal surface while causing theinverted top of the crate to have a downward transverse slope from frontto rear.

6. Apparatus for use in connection with packing asparagus in a cratecomprising a cradle having means to support an initially open sidedcrate with the open side in an upwardly facing position to enable theasparagus to be placed therein, and clamping means associated with thecradle to engage the row of asparagus adjacent the open side of thecrate when the latter is fully packed and press the asparagus into thecrate to facilitate the nailing of the side slats onto the crate.

7. Apparatus for use inconnection with packing asparagus in a cratecomprising a cradle having means to support an initially open sided andbottomless crate in an inverted position to enable the asparagus to bepacked therein with the tips pointing downwardly, and means removablyassociated with the cradle to form a temporary support for the tipsabove the inverted top of the crate to cause the butts of the asparagusto project above the crate whereby to enable said butts to be then cutofi flush with the crate.

8. A method of packing asparagus in a crate having its bottom slats andthose of one side initially removed, including supporting the crate withsaid bottom and open side facing upwardly, placing the asparagus in thecrate with the tips toward the actual top of the same, pressing the rowof asparagus adjacent the open side inwardly of the plane of the samewhen the crate is fully packed, and placing the slats of said side inposition on the crate while the asparagus is thus held pressed. 7

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

GEORGE ADCOCK.

